Backgammon multi-player game

ABSTRACT

The invention is a new variation on the game of backgammon. The game consists of six color-coded game boards and six sets of colored playing stones (15 per set). This game allows 3-6 players to challenge each other to be the first player to successfully bear off all of his or her stones. To accomplish this, each player moves his or her stones around the board from point to point (space to space) as per the roll of the dice towards their own color-coded home base. During the process they must try to avoid leaving “blots” (a single stone on a point) that make their stones vulnerable for a “hit” (another player landing on their blot). A “hit” from an opponent will send their stone “to the bar” (back to the beginning). At the same time, each player will try to prevent their opponents from reaching their own color-coded home bases. Once a player has all of his or her stones in their color-coded home base, they are able to start “bearing off” (removing stones from play).

[0001] This invention is a game that allows 3, 4, 5, or 6 players tochallenge each other to an expanded and more strategic variation ofbackgammon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The game of backgammon has been around for centuries while itsexact point and date of origin is unknown. It has evolved as atwo-player game on a single game board in which one player will try tooutwit the other player to become the first player to bear off all ofhis or her stones. Several ornamental designs for a game board ofbackgammon were given American patents on Nov. 8, 1977, Dec. 23, 1980,Mar. 20, 1984, Sep. 1, 1992 and Jun. 26, 1998: D246326 Nov., 1977 WatsonD21/362. D257681 Dec., 1980 Grayson D21/362. D273124 Mar., 1984 Craft273/248. D329063 Sep., 1992 Kantor D21/362. D406280 Mar. 2, 1999 TesauroD21/362

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Up until now, the game of backgammon has consisted of two playersusing a singular board to compete against each other to be the first tobear off all of their playing stones. The board has either been a flatboard, or a portable board that collapses in the middle but opens upinto a singular board. With this invention, there can now be between 3-6players who compete against each other to be the first player tosuccessfully bear off all of their playing stones. Instead of beingconcerned with only one player, the strategy becomes more complexbecause there are more players to contend with. In addition, thisinvention consists of 6 separate game boards that are selected andarranged depending on how many players there will be. To avoidconfusion, the game boards and stones are color-coded so that the playerwith, for example, the blue color-coded home base must return all of hisor her blue playing stones to this home base before the process ofbearing off can occur.

[0004] In the drawings, which form a part of this specification,

[0005]FIG. 1: The individual game board (one of six)

[0006] There are six (6) game boards. Each game board has the points inits home area color coded to one of the six colors used for each of thesets of playing pieces (stones).

[0007]1. Home base area.

[0008]2. Bar area. This is where the stones of the player who sits twopositions to the left are sent when an opponent's stone lands on themand takes them out of play.

[0009]3,4. Color-coded points. These are one of the six colors used inthe game alternating in a dark and a light shade thereof. These indicatewhere a player's pieces must all be before he can start bearing themoff.

[0010]5. Neutral area.

[0011]6,7. Alternating black and white points.

[0012]8. Color-coded markings for guiding initial set-up of game. Theseare the same color used for item 3 or 4. These illustrate the placementof several of the stones of the player who starts two boards to theright and finishes on this board.

[0013]9. Non-color-coded markings for guiding initial set-up of game.These are in a color different from one of the six playing colors. Theseillustrate the placement of several of the stones of the player whostarts on the board to the immediate right and finishes on the board tothe immediate left.

[0014]10. Non-color-coded markings for guiding initial set-up of game.These are in a color different from one of the six playing colors. Theseillustrate the placement of some of the stones of the player who startson this board and finishes two boards to the left.

[0015]11. Rounded corners, to facilitate the placement of the boards atvarious angles with respect to one another.

[0016]12. Logo area This is a non-functional part of the board and willbe used for displaying the game's name and company logo.

[0017]FIG. 2: This shows how a playing piece or stone will look from thetop and the side.

[0018]FIG. 3: Three (3) adjacent game boards with the initial placementof one player's stones.

[0019]13. This is the game board where the player starts if he finisheson the game board at the bottom of the diagram. (See also, remainingfigures.)

[0020]FIG. 4: A typical game set-up for three (3) players.

[0021]FIG. 5: A typical game set-up for four (4) players.

[0022]FIG. 6: A typical game set-up for five (5) players.

[0023]FIG. 7: A typical game set-up for six (6) players.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Contents:

[0025] Each game comes complete with six color-coded game boards (FIG.1), six sets of colored playing pieces, called stones (15 per set) andone pair of dice.

[0026] Object of the Game:

[0027] The object of the game is to be the first player to successfullybear off all of his or her stones.

[0028] Setting up the Game:

[0029] This game can be played with three to six players. Each playershould select a colored game board with the corresponding colored set ofplaying stones (15 in total). Arrange the game boards so that the upperright and left hand corners of each game board are touching youropponents' game board (FIG. 1, item 11). A three-player game will havethe game boards appearing in a triangle shape—(FIG. 4), while a fourplayer game would be in more of a square shape—(FIG. 5). The five andsix player game will take on a more circular appearance—(FIGS. 6 & 7).

[0030] Arrangement of the Stones

[0031] On each player's game board, there is a colored section or homebase (FIG. 1, item 1) containing six triangles that have three lightshades and three dark shades (FIG. 1, items 3 and 4) of a player'schosen color. Within this section, the three triangles to the right havecircles appearing on them with either two or five circles. Place yourfirst five stones on the furthest triangle to the right within thiscolored home base (the circles will be colored the dark shade of theplayer's chosen color). Place your next three stones just outside ofyour home base (FIG. 1, item 5) on the middle triangle (FIG. 1 item 7)showing three circles (these circles will be colored in a shade of theplayer's chosen color). The triangles within this section arealternating black and white (FIG. 1, items 6 and 7). The next fivestones are placed on the game board of the opponent to your immediateright. You should be looking at the colored section and the threetriangles on the far right of your opponent's home base. Place your fivestones on the triangle showing the five circles that are closest to you(the circles will be in a different color from the six used for thedifferent players—herearfter called a neutral color). Your last twostones are placed on the game board of the opponent to the immediateright of the player where you just placed your five stones. These stonesare placed in the colored section on the triangle showing the twocircles (the circles will be in a neutral color). This is consideredyour starting home base, and should you get sent to the bar, this is thehome base on which you will re-enter to begin play again.

[0032] Playing the Game:

[0033] To determine which player starts, roll the dice and the highestroll will begin play. The play will then move in a clockwise direction.Each triangle represents one space (or point) on the board. The startingplayer will roll the dice and move either one or two stones the amountthat turns up on the dice. For instance, if the player rolls a three anda two, one stone may be moved three spaces, followed by two spaces, ortwo spaces followed by three spaces. They may also chose to move one oftheir stones three spaces, and a different one of their stones twospaces. You want to begin to move your stones around the board and intoyour colored home base, but you do not want to leave a “Blot” if you canhelp it. In the first example, a player can not move their stone fivespaces, but rather two and three, or three and two. This is importantbecause if an opponent has a “Blocked Point” on a space that you want tomove onto, you are prevented from moving onto that space. If thisopponent is three spaces away from the stone that you wish to move, youwill only be able to move past the opponent by moving first the twospaces, followed by the three spaces. If you tried to move the threespaces first, you will hit the blocked point, and so are not able tomove this stone. Remember, the purpose of the game is to get your stonesaround the board and into your home base, while at the same time notleaving any of your stones vulnerable for a “Hit”. If a player rolls“Doublets”, they can move either one, two, three, or four of theirstones. For instance, a double five will grant a player four moves offive spaces. A good strategy may be to move one set of two stones fivespaces, and another set of two stones five spaces. This will give theplayer two “Blocked Points” and make it a little more difficult fortheir opponents to move their own stones around the board. This willalso prevent their own stones from being put into a vulnerable positionwhere they can be “Hit” and sent to the “Bar”. When reaching the end ofone game board, your stone will jump to the next player's game board asif the game boards were all joined together. You will continue thisuntil all of your stones are within the colored section of your homebase. A player must move their stone(s) as per the roll of both dice.There may be times when one or no moves are possible because of blockedpoints along the game board, and so the player will not take the fullmove as per the roll of both dice. Note that a player must take bothmoves if they are able to. (If “Doublets” are rolled, the player musttake the most moves—up to four in number—that are possible).

[0034] The Bar

[0035] When one of your stones is occupying a single space on the board,it is considered to be a “Blot”. If another player lands on this spaceyour stone will be sent to the “Bar” (FIG. 1, item 2). Your stone mustbe placed on the bar section of the opponent's game board where yourfirst two stones started out. You will be unable to move any of yourstones until you are able to return all stones from the bar.

[0036] Returning from the Bar

[0037] To return your stone back into play, you must roll a numberwithin the colored section of your opponent's game board (FIG. 1, item1) that is not already blocked by another player's stones. When lookingat your opponent's game card, the spaces are counted as 1 through 6(left to right—the 1, 2 & 3 spaces contain circles while the 4, 5 & 6contain none). If, for example, you were to roll a six and a four, andneither of these spaces is blocked, you have a choice of either bringingdown your stone on the four or six spot in the colored section. The onethat you choose to bring your stone down on will depend on which ofthese numbers will give you a better move with one of your other stones.You can also choose to take both moves with the same stone that you arebringing down, if the space is not blocked after taking both moves. Ifyou choose to move your stone down on the four, then you can choose anyother stone to move the six spaces. In another example, if you rolled asix and a four and the four space is blocked but the six space is open,you must move your stone onto the six space and choose a stone to movethe four spaces. If the number that you rolled on both dice is blocked,you cannot move your stone down and therefore you are unable to takeyour turn.

[0038] If you have two stones on the bar, both stones will have to comedown before you can move any other stones. You may be able to bring bothstones down on a single roll if both spaces are unblocked. If only onespace is unblocked, then you can move one stone down, but your turn isover. If both spaces are blocked, then both stones will remain on thebar and your turn is over.

[0039] Winning the Game:

[0040] The way to win this game is to get all of your own stones aroundthe board and into your colored home base, while preventing youropponents from doing the same. You prevent them from doing this bychoosing to “Hit” one of their “Blots” while at the same time trying toprotect your own stones, as well as “Blocking Points” on the board tomake it more difficult for the players to move their stones.

[0041] After you have all of your stones in your colored home base, youcan now begin the process of “Bearing Off”.

[0042] Bearing Off

[0043] The final step in winning the game is to bear off all of yourstones before another player bears off their stones. You begin to bearoff your stones only when all of your stones are in your colored homebase (FIG. 1, item 1). The player should look at his or her own coloredhome base. The spaces are numbered as 1 through 6 (left to right—the 1,2 & 3 spaces will not contain any circles while the 4, 5 & 6 will).

EXAMPLE#1:

[0044] If the player had stones on each space within their colored homebase except the one space, and they rolled a one and a five, the playercan choose to do the following:

[0045] 1. Remove one stone from the five space (“Bear Off”) removing itfrom play, and move any other of their stones one space. Since they didnot have a stone on the one space, they are unable to bear off a stonefrom this space.

[0046] 2. Move a stone from the six space forward five spaces (whichwill now put this stone on the one space) and move another stone forwardone space.

[0047] The player may have chosen to move forward instead of bearing offbecause:

[0048] a) The stone on the six space may be a “Blot” and is vulnerableto being “Hit” by another player.

[0049] b) The stone on the one space may be a “Blot” and is vulnerableto being “Hit” by another player.

[0050] c) The stone on the five space may become a “Blot” if you bearoff the stone and is vulnerable to being “Hit” by another player.

EXAMPLE#2:

[0051] If a player has stones on the first five spaces only and a six isrolled on one of the die, the player will move down to the next possiblespace which is the five. The stone must be removed from the five space.In the bearing off process, a stone must either be removed from play ormoved forward towards the one space if they are able to. They cannotchose to leave things as they are just because they may end up leaving a“Blot”.

[0052] The process of bearing off will take strategy as you want to bearoff as quickly as possible, but at the same time you need to preserveyour own stones from being hit by another player. Note that, because ofthe rule of bearing off from the next power point if higher ones areunoccupied by your stones, it is advantageous to have your stonesclustered as much as possible toward the one point, rather than the sixpoint when bearing off

[0053] If your stone is hit and sent to the bar by another player duringthe bearing off process, you cannot bear off any other stones until thisstone has made its way back around the board and into your colored homebase again. That is why you need to use caution when bearing off yourstones.

[0054] THE FIRST PLAYER TO SUCCESSFULLY BEAR OFF ALL OF THEIR STONESWILL BE THE WINNER!

1. A game comprising six color-coded game boards (using six differentcolors) and corresponding color-coded sets of 15 stones that allow from3 to 6 players to participate in the game.
 2. A game that expands on theconcept of Backgammon to include strategic play against not just oneopponent, but 2, 3, 4 or 5 opponents.
 3. A game that instructs playersto arrange their game boards so that the top left and right corners aretouching their opponents' game boards. A three-player game will have thegame boards arranged in a triangle shape, while a four-player game wouldbe in more of a square shape. The five and six player games would takeon a more circular appearance.
 4. A game in which each game board has acolor-coded home base consisting of six (6) triangles that arealternating in a dark and a light shade of the player's chosen color(three of each).
 5. A game that has three triangles outside of thecolor-coded home base that are alternating black and white in color (twoof one and one of the other).
 6. A game that has colored circles withinfour of the triangles on your game board for guiding the initial set-upof the game. Five of your stones start in your color-coded home base onthe rightmost triangle with five circles containing a shade of theplayer's chosen color. Three of your stones start just outside of yourhome base on the white triangle containing the three circles that are ashade of the player's chosen color. Another five start in thecolor-coded home base of the opponent to your immediate right on thetriangle containing the five neutral-colored circles. The remaining twoof your stones start in the color-coded home base of the second opponentto your right on the triangle containing the two neutral-coloredcircles.